Microgestin Fe 1/20 and Depression: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• March 9, 2012

For Birth Control "I am in my 6th month of Microgestin Fe 1/20, and I have mixed feelings about it. My doctor switched me from Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo because of my horrible mood swings with that. This pill, while it does help with the mood swings, seems to make me more apathetic towards everything. I hate the feeling of indifference, but it sure does beat the outbursts. However, being a dancer and in awesome physical shape, I now find myself with 'muffin top'... the excess fat around the waist that overlaps the pants. I have a constant feeling of dry mouth and find myself drinking almost 80 oz. of water a day; most of which is likely retained. Also, extremely sensitive breasts. Showers hurt! So, I have mixed feelings about Microgestin, but I will most likely continue to use."

• Anonymous
• December 14, 2011

For Birth Control "I took Microgestin a few months ago, but stopped after the first month. I was 17 and was taking it for primary birth control and period regulation. I gained 10 pounds in the first month of taking Microgestin! During that month, I was only eating one small salad a day and exercising like crazy. The pill also made me moody, depressed, and unmotivated."

• Old...
• March 2, 2018

For Birth Control "I've been taking this BC for over a year (I'm 45), and a lot of the symptoms reported by other users are very similar to what I've experienced. I've had a history of minor depression, but I've noticed over the last year my bouts have increased dramatically and they're MUCH more frequent and last a lot longer. Plus, I've developed severe anxiety, constant moodiness, and rage. To be fair, I've had some events over the past year that have caused some stress and anxiety, but I was perplexed (and extremely disappointed) with my inability to handle these events without constantly breaking down and crying. I'm not averse to crying, but I was/am crying about nearly EVERYTHING. Some days, my depression and anxiety have been so severe that I've been unable to get out of bed and go to work... It IS very effective as a BC, and I think for some women it'll probably be perfect if they don't experience the same side effects I did (which, by the way, also included increased, very painful cramps)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2012

"I got this to use because I just got married. However, after about 3 weeks, I got super moody, and I was depressed and cried all the time. My breasts got bigger and hurt like crazy, acne got worse, and at the end of the pack, I would get this really weird red neck rash that hurt and itched so bad it ruined my daily activities for a few days. I also gained weight, which had been very constant for the last two years. This pill works because I totally lost my sex drive and confidence, so I didn't want to have sex."

• MOR...
• February 15, 2012

"I've been on the pill for a few months. Now noticed a little weight gain, but that could also be all the stress eating from college. Breasts are a little bigger, no headaches, mood swings, or loss of sex drive. Just a little loss of motivation if that's normal or even from the pill. I recommend this pill."

• Ava...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2023

For Birth Control "This is my first-ever review of a medication, but I was hoping to share my experience so it could help someone in the future. I was on Larin birth control for 8 years. Helped with my acne, but gave me anxiety. Some pharmacies stopped carrying it, so they put me on Microgestin FE 1/20. The first 2 months seemed okay. 3 months then boom crazy side effects (for the worst). It caused me so much anger and anxiety that I’ve never experienced before. It made me very depressed and suicidal, which has never happened to me before. The only positive things were no acne, and I didn’t get pregnant. My libido was very low as well. Everyone’s different, but I’d be cautious if you are trying this birth control."

• wil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 19, 2022

For Birth Control "I've been taking Microgestin for 7 months now. The first month was fine, but after that I had terrible side effects, and after reading the other reviews on here, I see I'm not alone. I get extreme and painful bloating almost every day and have gained weight in only my stomach (with no change in diet and even an increase in activity). I have terrible mood swings and feel like I can't control my emotions. I cry over every little thing and have had an increase in anxiety. I basically cry every day. A couple of times now I've had severe depression before my period starting, which I have never experienced before this pill. I am fatigued, have frequent headaches, and overall feel a change. The only positives were that it was effective for the sole purpose of birth control and helped clear my acne. Other than that, I do not recommend. My experience has been pretty negative and I'm eager to see if there is a change after now stopping my pills."

• ame...
• February 11, 2017

For Birth Control "I took this for a total of three weeks. WORST PILL EVER. In that time period, I gained 10 pounds, was bloated all the time, and had the worst stomach pains and headaches. I have never been hungrier than I was when I took this, except every time I ate, my stomach puffed up and became hard to the point where it was uncomfortable even to lay down. During that time, I think I actually was depressed from the weight gain and pain. When I finally got my period, I was in so much pain that I laid in bed for two whole days and felt nauseous with sharp cramps and couldn't even move to turn in bed. I also lost 10 times more blood than ever before on my period. Overall, I have never felt sicker while taking this pill."

• Anonymous
• August 5, 2012

"I just started this pill about a month ago, after taking Sprintec for almost a year. Sprintec made me have severe depression and anxiety and also caused my periods to be heavier than I would like. I was abstinent before I got on this pill and took the first two and a half weeks' worth at the same time every single day. I ended up having protected sex, which I didn't think anything of until it came time for my first period. I started on Tuesday like I normally do, but my period only lasted for a day and a half and was very light. I'm not used to this. By reading all of these comments, I see that it is normal to not have a period. I don't think there is any possible way I could be pregnant, but it is still scary."

• Dee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2020

For Birth Control "This medication made me so depressed. I gained 40 lbs, cried every day, and had extremely irregular periods for the 5 months I was on it."

• Anonymous
• October 25, 2012

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "Severe depression and irritability, acne, and oily skin starting the 3rd month of this pill."